TRUMP REPORTED PREPPING TO DUMP NIELSEN AS DHS SECRETARY: “President Trump has told advisers he has decided to remove Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and her departure from the administration is likely to occur in the coming weeks, if not sooner, according to five current and former White House officials,” reports The Washington Post.

“Trump canceled a planned trip with Nielsen this week to visit U.S. troops at the border in South Texas and told aides over the weekend that he wants her out as soon as possible, these officials said.”

COSTS MOUNT FOR TRUMP’S BORDER DEPLOYMENT: “President Trump has tapped the Pentagon for his immigration and border initiatives to a larger extent than any of his recent predecessors and the potential bills are piling up,” writes the Washington Examiner.

“The military will likely be saddled with hundreds of millions of dollars in border costs for the deployment of thousands of troops and a border wall project.”

SENATORS HAMMER OUT COAST GUARD DEAL: Republican and Democratic senators struck a deal on a Coast Guard reauthorization bill that had stalled over provisions related to ballast water discharge regulations, Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) and Environment and Public Works ranking Democrat Tom Carper of Delaware said in a statement Monday, via our colleague Brianna Gurciullo:

“The authorization bill failed to get enough votes earlier this year to be considered in the Senate. The chamber is set to vote Tuesday on a motion to invoke cloture, allowing it to proceed to a final vote on Wednesday.”

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HAPPENING TODAY

DoD’S GRIFFIN TALKS MISSILE DEFENSE WITH CSIS: Defense Undersecretary for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin participates in a discussion with the Center for Strategic and International Studies about “Reenergizing the Missile Defense Enterprise.”

More than three decades ago, Griffin was at the center of the military’s “Star Wars” initiative, working to realize President Ronald Reagan’s dream of shielding the U.S. from Soviet missiles like “a roof protects a family from rain,” writes The Washington Post.

ASIA-PACIFIC

IN NORTH KOREA, MISSILE BASES SUGGEST A GREAT DECEPTION: “North Korea is moving ahead with its ballistic missile program at 16 hidden bases that have been identified in new commercial satellite images, a network long known to American intelligence agencies but left undiscussed as President Trump claims to have neutralized the North’s nuclear threat,” writes The New York Times.

“The satellite images suggest that the North has been engaged in a great deception: It has offered to dismantle a major launching site — a step it began, then halted — while continuing to make improvements at more than a dozen others that would bolster launches of conventional and nuclear warheads.”

PENCE AND JAPAN’S ABE AGREE ON NORTH KOREA SANCTIONS: “U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday reaffirmed the need to keep sanctions on North Korea to achieve its denuclearization as they showcased their bilateral alliance, while Pence also urged Japan to do more to reduce the U.S. trade deficit,” writes The Associated Press.

“Pence was to leave later Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore and an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea on behalf of Trump.”

But with Trump absent, China and Russia can take center stage at the summits, writes The Washington Post.

The U.S. adopts a new battle plan to fight China’s theft of trade secrets, reports The Wall Street Journal.

And China’s premier says talks on a South China Sea code should end in three years, via Reuters.

ALSO TODAY

CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS EYES REGIONAL SECURITY IN ASIA: The Center for American Progress hosts a forum this morning on the “Future of Regional Security in Asia,” focusing upon how the U.S. and Japan can cooperate on maritime security.

MIDTERMS

SINEMA WINS ARIZONA SENATE RACE: “Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema has defeated Republican Rep. Martha McSally in the battle for the open Senate seat in Arizona, giving Democrats their second Senate pickup of the cycle,” reports POLITICO’s James Arkin.

“Sinema had 49.7 percent of the vote to McSally’s 48 percent when The Associated Press called the race Monday evening.”

McSallynow sits on the House Armed Services Committee and had expressed a desire to join the Senate Armed Services Committee if she were elected.

LAWSUITS AND ACCUSATIONS FLY IN FLORIDA SENATE RACE: “Acrimony in the Florida recount battle deepened Monday as Sen.
Bill Nelson
(D) called on his Republican opponent, Gov. Rick Scott, to recuse himself from overseeing the process, and as President Trump alleged without evidence that ballots were missing and forged,” writes The Washington Post.

Nelson is now a member of SASC.

YEMEN

BOLTON IN UAE AMID PRESSURE TO END WAR AID: “U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton held talks on Monday with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on regional issues and the fight against ‘terrorism,’ state media said,” via Agence France Presse.

“Bolton’s visit comes as international pressure mounts to end the war in Yemen, where government loyalists backed by an Arab-led coalition, including Emirati forces, are battling Iran-aligned Houthi rebels.”

EUROPE

TRUMP RENEWS ATTACKS ON NATO: “President Trump, fresh off an international display of unity among global leaders to mark the end of World War I, renewed his attacks on America’s longtime allies on Monday, and demanded fair treatment for the United States,” reports the NYT.

“In a trio of Twitter posts, Mr. Trump said that the United States pays ‘for LARGE portions’ of other countries’ military protection and loses money on trade with those same countries. Mr. Trump has frequently criticized what he asserts are the unbalanced costs of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the military alliance whose core includes mutual defense.”

INDUSTRY INTEL

AMAZON REPORTED TO PICK CRYSTAL CITY, Va., AND NEW YORK TO SPLIT NEW HQ: “Amazon will divide its much-anticipated new headquarters between Crystal City in Northern Virginia and Long Island City in Queens, New York, a source with knowledge of the plan confirmed to POLITICO on Monday night,” report our colleagues Steven Overly and Gloria Pazmino.

“The move follows a search that spanned more than a year and prompted local governments across North America to scramble to offer tax breaks and other incentives to win the company's favor.”

PENTAGON SEES FASTER MOVE ON NEXT F-35 CONTRACT: “Pentagon weapons buyer Ellen Lord said the Defense Department and Lockheed Martin Corp. are speeding up efforts to complete the contract for the next and largest order of F-35 jets,” reports Bloomberg.

“The 12th contract would be the largest to date with at least 250 aircraft.”

BOEING REPORTED TO WITHHOLD INFORMATION ON 737 MODEL: “Boeing Co. withheld information about potential hazards associated with a new flight-control feature suspected of playing a role in last month’s fatal Lion Air jet crash, according to safety experts involved in the investigation, as well as midlevel FAA officials and airline pilots,” reports the WSJ.

About The Author : Gregory Hellman

Greg Hellman is a defense reporter for POLITICO Pro. He is the author of the Morning Defense newsletter and covers Congress.

Prior to joining POLITICO, Greg worked as a national security analyst for the Government Accountability Office where he focused on defense and counter-ISIS policy. He also worked as a reporter for Bloomberg BNA and Inside Washington Publishers, where he covered worker-safety policy.

Greg grew up outside Milwaukee, Wis. He graduated from Boston University in 2008 and American University in 2013.